Sleep

a thief in the night-
sleep steals into the room and
takes me unawares

cunning-
the sly sofa
steals my will

Ash

a viking long boat
trailing ash and smoke floating
towards valhalla

central park-
cigar ashes on
the chess board

Carving

shavings of maple
remnants of a craftsman’s work
spread across the floor

a willow tree
the old man carves
in the shade

Evening

ephemeral rain-
bird songs echo from the trees
in the fading light

twilight-
a grove
of amber

Night

my open window-
from the red barn a white owl
asks me one question

transfixed-
the field mouse stares
at his death

Mud

dark murky waters
dirt and debris stirred up from
raking the bottom

cold rain-
a dark past
muddied by truth

Light

a time of rebirth-
years spent living in the dark
rescued by your light

through the water
dancing reflections
from the surface

Notes

second grade romance-
a slip of paper folded
and passed hand to hand

mardi gras-
her number on
a bar napkinL

Seas

waiting for the sea-
an ancient mariner mourns
the arriving tide

bedraggled skies-
limp with rain over
an unkempt sea

Café

a sidewalk cafe-
lunch forgotten as a crow
lands on my table

al fresco-
a rain drop
in my coffee